


A Taste for Learning

by ElleWinter



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: F/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-03-31 21:59:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13984164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElleWinter/pseuds/ElleWinter
Summary: Cadet James T. Kirk is posted to the USS Farragut for a term, serving on the bridge under Commander Ella Vergne. One night on shore leave, he finds out that his icily professional commanding officer is human after all-- and learns some very useful lessons in the process.A Walking Wounded side story.Complete.





	1. Chapter 1

Struck out again. Maybe he should have worn his uniform… but a cadet’s uniform wasn't that impressive. Kirk gave the blonde a last apologetic grin and turned away. How was he to know she didn’t like guys? And why get mad at him? Then again, she was really beautiful, so she probably got that a lot. Whatever. He didn’t take it personally… although that one had taken a while to learn. All right. He only had one more night of shore leave and he didn’t intend to spend it alone. Scanning the bar, his eye lit on a redhead he’d been noticing all night. At first he’d thought she was with someone, but the last couple times he’d looked, that girl hadn’t been around and she’d been flirting with guys. Or, her body language said flirting, anyway-- he hadn’t seen her face yet.  


Whatever. Who cared anyway? He was out of there tomorrow, back on the Farragut for maneuvers. Downing the last of his drink, he set the glass on the bar and headed over to the redhead.

He did have a bit of a soft spot for long hair, and hers was gorgeous, luxurious red waves that fell to her tiny waist. As he approached, his eyes wandered lower, and he realized he should have tried for this one before he’d hit up the blonde-- the redhead’s ass was fantastic, just round, muscled, tight, and utterly grabbable under the slinky black dress she was wearing. He decided that it didn’t matter what her face looked like at that point. That ass was more than enough to make up for any flaws.

He didn’t like to approach from behind. More than one woman had gotten weirded out by it, or thought he was trying to creep on her or something, but he didn’t want to lose sight of that fantastic ass before he had to. Especially if that might be all he was getting tonight. “Hey, are you bored? You look bored,” he said over the pounding music, staying a little further away than he normally would so she wouldn't get freaked out. It didn't seem to work; he thought he saw her stiffen, so he quickly added, “I’m just passing through town. Know any better bars?” If she answered him, either way he’d get something out of it.

“I’m a stranger myself,” he heard her say as she turned, and suddenly realized he’d made a huge mistake. Commander Ella Vergne, the ice queen, stood there in front of him, looking him over. Half the ship was hopelessly in love with her… and from some of the things he’d heard, he could see why she was so cold and professional. Guys wrote her love letters, followed her on shore leave, accosted her on the rare times she was seen in the USS Farragut’s lounge… one or two had even been removed from the ship because their attention had crossed the line between genuine interest and stalking. He could see the appeal-- she was holo-star gorgeous, like the pinups soldiers used to fawn over in the World War mid-twentieth century. Perfect cupid’s bow red lips, long black eyelashes framing her crystalline blue eyes, that amazing tumble of red hair that she always kept bound up on the ship, and a muscular, dangerously curved body. But that hadn’t done her any favors, trapped on the Farragut for months at a time with a horde of guys-- and girls-- salivating over her. Sometimes he thought the only thing holding them all off was the icy force of her professionalism.

Kirk didn’t try to make an elaborate excuse. He and Commander Vergne had to work together on the bridge, and anything he said could come back to haunt him. “Sorry, ma’am,” he answered, adopting a more professional tone. “I didn’t realize it was you. Have a nice night.” He turned and started to walk toward the doors, trying to figure out whether he should hit another bar or admit defeat and head back to his hotel. It was getting really late.

“I thought you didn’t know any better bars,” he heard her say. Surprise made him pause-- Commander Vergne had never engaged him in conversation that wasn’t strictly work-related.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw a smirk she would never have worn on the bridge. “I don’t,” he said, hesitantly turning halfway back to her, not really sure if this was some sign of human behavior on her part or if she was mocking him or something. That didn’t seem her style, but how would he know? He’d never seen her acting less, or more, than completely and utterly professional. “Just figured I’d leave this one to you. I’m striking out here anyway.”

That smirk wavered, became something a little softer. Glancing around at the rest of the bar, she said, “I am too. Let’s go find someplace else.”

He followed her out. What the hell else was he gonna do?

A cab ride later, Kirk still couldn’t quite believe the night he was having. Bad luck had followed him all night-- at that first bar, every single girl he’d approached had been attached or oriented differently or just severely unimpressed with him. Same thing with the second. And at the third one here with Commander Vergne, he couldn’t loosen up enough to feel natural and the girls he talked to could feel it. Not that he minded having some company, but _why?_ Why come with him? He was just as into her looks as the next guy, but Commander Vergne had never, ever shown interest in anyone aboard ship. And there were enough eyes on her to make it very awkward if he tried, no matter what the outcome, so he’d decided there was no point. It would just be a huge mess, and he had enough to worry about already. He figured maybe she just wanted some company herself… but that was sort of hard to reconcile with the ice queen he dealt with every day on the bridge.

“God, what a dump,” she said, having made her way back to him and set her drink down on the bar beside his. “The only possibility I had turned out to be dumber than a rock. Really, if you can’t pronounce cinnamon properly--” she stopped, glancing at him.

“What?” he asked, confused.

She smirked again, although he thought he saw uncertainty flit through her eyes. “Then your tongue’s not agile enough for anything else I want,” she said dryly.

Kirk hadn’t been prepared to hear that, and almost spat his drink. Commander Vergne did _not_ have a sense of humor. Before he could recover himself, his mouth ran away with him. “Is that all you're looking for? Cause hell, I can do that.”

She gave him a skeptical look, verging on cold. “Oh, really?”

Well, he’d already put his foot in his mouth. Might as well run with it. He gave her his cockiest grin, and just said, “Cinnamon.” After waiting a beat, he pretended confusion. “Damn, it didn't work. Do I have to say it more than once? _Cinnamon._ ”

For a moment he worried that he’d fucked himself over and she'd be mad enough to make his life aboard miserable. Maybe she'd get him transferred off the bridge. He'd worked so hard for that spot, too, getting it in spite of prejudice from one of the officers in charge of placement, who was convinced he’d never make it as an officer. But before he could start kicking himself too hard over it, she grinned, her eyes glinting with roguish humor he’d never seen before. “Fine. Can you keep your mouth shut, Ca--” She stopped, looking faintly worried herself.

“Jim,” he said, hoping to distract her. “And yeah. I can keep my mouth shut, if that's what you want.” He had a feeling he knew where this was leading, weird as it was, and he didn't want to screw it up. She might have been fifteen years older than him, but she was drop dead gorgeous, the kind of woman he’d had fevered adolescent dreams about.

Commander Vergne looked him over once more, then seemed to make a decision. “Come on. We might as well have something to show for all this effort.” Stepping away, she started for the door.

...well, hell, why not?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: sexual content.

It didn't take long before they were at Vergne’s hotel. It was a little better than he’d been able to afford, but still not a luxury place. Surprisingly, the aircab ride hadn't been awkward; they'd kept strictly away from work, sticking to safe topics like bars and music. And she hadn't called him Cadet again, so he was careful not to slip and call her Commander. Though really, it was _weird_ to be calling her Ella. **  
**

They made it all the way to the hall her room was on before they ran into trouble. One moment they were just walking, and the next Ella had yanked him back around the corner. Before he could ask, she'd laid her fingers on his lips, talking very softly. “I'm going to go back down the hall to the front balcony, and you're going to head down that hallway and stop to talk to the guy standing in it. You're going to tell him you saw me in the bar downstairs and then keep walking like you don't care. Come to the balcony when you’re done.”

If this was a way to get rid of him, it was awfully complicated. Too complicated when she could just have told him to get lost and he’d have gone, and the Commander he knew wouldn’t have hesitated to do that. “All right,” Kirk said when she lifted her fingers from his mouth, keeping his voice barely above a whisper, same as hers. He started to leave, then on impulse turned back and slid his arm around her waist. She stiffened at first, but then melted up against him, turning her lips up to meet his.

Whiskey and honey, soft lips and teasing tongue.The kiss was almost enough to distract him until she bit him, playful but sharp. “Go,” she said, slipping from his arms and heading down the hall, away from the corner.

On the basis of that kiss, he could be in for a very good night indeed. Kirk rounded the corner and headed down the hall. At least, he did until he recognized the man in front of one of the doors. Kirk felt his step falter and tried his best to cover it up, abandoning casual behavior for professional. “Sir,” he said, slowing and nodding respectfully.

Captain Garrovick nodded to him, leaning against the wall. “No luck tonight, Cadet?” he asked, giving Kirk a grin. The Captain was dressed in fancy civilian clothes, his shirt partly open and his tie undone. There was a suit jacket slung over his arm, and what looked like a bottle of champagne tucked against his side.

“No sir,” Kirk said, pausing. “Were you waiting for someone?”

“Needed to talk to the Commander before we get back on board tomorrow,” Garrovick said.

Kirk nodded. “I saw her in the bar downstairs, sir. She looked like she was going somewhere else soon though.”

Garrovick straightened, clapping Kirk on the shoulder. “Thanks, Cadet Kirk. Better luck next time.” He started down the hall, and Kirk thanked him and kept walking.

Garrovick, huh? And Ella wasn't just ducking him to get out of work. That wasn't like her. Kirk went to the other set of elevators, went up a floor, then came back down the stairs. Garrovick was still gone. Hurrying to the balcony, he stepped through the door, hoping that the dark-lit figure he could see there was her.

She could have just left, but it was her, that ice queen disdain on her face until she saw that it was him. “Is he gone?” she asked, peering though the windows, scanning the hall.

“Yeah. Are you sure you want to stay here? What if he comes back?” It was too late to wonder whether he wanted to be mixed up in this. And… maybe he was just a softy, but it really went against the grain to leave Ella to her own devices with Garrovick, even if he knew she could handle it if she had to.

“The rooms are soundproof. I'll just turn off the chimes.” She glanced sharply at him. “Changed your mind, Jim?”

“Nah. Just wasn't expecting that.” They passed through the balcony door and began to walk toward her room. Casually, he asked, “Have much trouble with him?”

“Some,” she said evasively, and he wondered just how much ‘some’ might be if she wouldn't admit to any more than that. And immediately began to wonder if there was a case to be made for kicking Garrovick out of his position, or at least kicking his ass.

Once the door was safely locked behind them, Ella rounded on him. “Don’t. Don’t even start. I saw that knight in shining armor look in your eyes, and I don’t need or want your help with him.”

Kirk held up his hands. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Keep it that way. You helped me out tonight because we both want to get laid, but that’s as far as any of this goes, all right?” She paused, looking him over with her fists on her hips, then sighed. “You’re a sweet kid, Jim. You sure you want to risk your Fleet career by sleeping with one of your COs?”

“You’re not going to do anything to me,” Kirk said. Ella might have been harsh at times, but she was always fair.

“But he might, if he finds out.” Kirk just stood there, waiting, and finally she sighed again. “All right. But here’s how this is going to work: when we’re on the bridge, this never happened. You don’t know me, I don’t know you, and we’re not going to be a couple or anything like that, although I figure you already knew that. We’re just having fun. And even if it’s a lot of fun, don’t expect any favors from me when we’re at work.”

That was roughly how he usually preferred things to go, although she put it a bit more bluntly than he was used to. “I got it,” he said, shrugging off his jacket and walking over to toss it on the nearby couch. “Are you always this hostile with people you’re going to fuck?” Not that his feelings were hurt-- he was just curious. Maybe he wanted to provoke a reaction. He had a feeling there was lava under all that ice.

“Trust me, Jim, if I’m ever hostile to you, you’ll be in no shape to do anything about it afterward,” she said, though she did soften a bit. “I just want to be absolutely clear as to what’s going on here. Not doing that has bitten me in the ass before.” At his quizzical look, she added, “It was years ago. Long before I was on the Farragut. Anyway, come over here and get the back of my dress for me. What happened to that girl from Communications you were seeing?” She turned, giving him her back. 

Kirk was glad she couldn’t see his expression. He and Meg had been keeping that very, very quiet. Even their breakup had been quiet. “What girl?” he asked blandly as he lifted her hair aside and unzipped the back of her dress.

Surprisingly, Ella laughed. “I knew I was right about you.” Taking that for encouragement, Kirk leaned down and brushed his lips against the nape of her neck-- and she made this little sighing noise that suddenly had all his attention. “God it’s been a while,” she said, almost to herself.

“Then I guess we’d better not waste time,” Kirk said, pushing her dress off her shoulders and biting lightly at her creamy skin. “We’ve only got one night.”

She didn’t answer, turning to face him instead, her lips softly parted and her dress starting to slide down. Extricating her arms, she reached up and touched his jaw, her other hand slipping beneath the bottom of his shirt to touch the skin at his waist. That touch sent goosebumps racing up his spine, and for a moment, he could hardly believe this was actually happening. If anyone else found out about this, he would be the envy of half the ship. Of course, it would be a terrible idea to let anyone find out, but still. And Ella was the kind of beauty you just didn’t see in real life. Before he could let himself get intimidated, he slid his arms around her and pulled her close, meeting her upturned lips with a kiss.

About an hour later, Kirk was lying flat on his back on the bed, breathing hard and sort of feeling like he’d just been hit by a torpedo. Ella lay beside him, her head on his shoulder and that glorious hair of hers spread out over his chest and arm. “Did I kill you?” she laughed quietly.

“Maybe?” Kirk said. The whole thing had been… god. She was an absolutely voracious lover. He’d been right-- there was lava under all that ice, and it had almost incinerated him. Despite the fact that his ego felt a little tender over it, he said, “I’m pretty sure I didn’t manage the same thing there.” She’d gotten off, yeah, but… he had the impression that she was a little harder to please than his other lovers. Made sense, really. She’d had fifteen more years to refine her techniques and figure out what she liked.

“You’re not bad. You’ve got a lot of talent.” Ella stretched, her body pressing up against him. She sure didn’t look her age. If he’d been going by looks alone, he would have guessed her to be maybe five years older than him. Maybe. “You could use some work, though.”

It stung a bit… but his ego wasn’t so big that he couldn’t recognize an offer when he heard it. “Hey, I’ll take any pointers you can give me.”

Ella laughed, pushing herself up and kissing his chest. “I knew I was right about you,” she said again. She looked down at him, watching him, then seemed to make a decision. “All right. First rule: no one finds out about this. That’s as much for your protection as mine. Second rule, you come to my quarters. I don’t go to yours. Third--”

“Wait, what?” He had to have heard that one wrong. “I thought this was just tonight.”

Ella just looked smug. “If you want to be the kind of lover who can make a girl blush just hearing your name, you’ve got more than a night’s worth of work ahead of you.” He wasn’t sure what his expression was, but she slapped his shoulder lightly. “Oh, come on, Jim. I wouldn’t be offering if I didn't think you could live up to it. Now, are you going to sulk because I didn’t stroke your ego, or are you going to take me up on it and learn something?”

“Teach me,” he said immediately. Salving his ego could wait. She was amazing in bed, and he figured this was the kind of opportunity most guys never got.

The smile she wore when she looked down at him was almost… bittersweet. “Good choice. Third rule: you absolutely don’t stop flirting, fucking around, whatever else, with anyone else. We can’t afford people starting to wonder why you’re suddenly slowing down with other girls and putting two and two together. As far as anyone else is concerned, you and I are not happening. Even if you’ve spent the last six nights with me, you should be bitching like you haven’t gotten laid in a week. Can you handle that?”

“Yeah, I can handle that. But why? Other officers get in relationships. Even with Cadets.”

“Because I’m not other officers, and if I’m going to keep my spot next in line for Captain, I’ve got to keep Garrovick thinking that I’m not messing around with anyone. I’ve seen him demote women who have rejected him. It’s nothing I can prove, but I have a gut feeling that if I ever made it clear that he was never going to sleep with me, I’d be demoted within the next month.”

“But that’s… that’s not fair,” he said. “Isn't there something I could--”

“Forget it, Jim. It’s my business, not yours. But you’re going to play along with it and learn the tricks because when you make Captain, you’re going to need to know how to be discreet. You can really fuck up someone’s career and their entire life if you aren’t careful.” She saw his expression and grinned down at him. “Yeah, I said ‘when.’ You’ll make it there. It’s a given.”

That was… good to hear. Most of the time people were busy telling him he was too cocky, took too many risks, and that he’d be better off with a planetside position so he didn’t jeopardize too many people. “Thanks, Ella,” he said, and meant it.

“Just remember that now that I’m going to tell you what you’re doing wrong,” she laughed. Stroking down his chest, she leaned down and pressed a kiss on his sternum. “The biggest thing you need to work on is just relaxing, Jim. It’s not a competition with her old lovers. You don’t need to pull out all the stops and overwhelm her. Relax. Enjoy yourself. If you like doing something and you show it, that’s going to make her feel good even if the physical sensation isn’t something that’s directly leading to orgasm. For instance…” Ella leaned down again, her lips brushing his skin as she spoke, sending goosebumps racing over his body. “...this isn’t about to get you off. But you’re getting all shivery, and that’s fun for me to watch, and it makes you want to do something about it but you don’t dare because I’ll stop.” As she spoke, her lips travelled downward until she was just to the side of his navel. “And you can see me enjoying myself. I’m smiling, and I keep looking you over to see what effect I’m having. That gives you permission to just lie back and let me do what I want, and not to worry about whether you’re doing a good job or if someone else has been better or any of that bullshit. That’s got no place here. That’s bringing in stuff that doesn’t belong. It’s better just to concentrate on what’s going on here and now and forget about all that.” Suddenly, her sharp little teeth sank in at the side of his waist, and Jim gasped, his entire body at attention and his cock already hard. She hadn’t even touched it. “See?”

“Yeah, I see,” he said, and his voice was raspy. She was right-- he wanted to grab her hair, move her lips so that it was more direct, but that would end this delicate torture. And she clearly did enjoy watching him like this-- her eyes had softened, wandering over him, and her smile never faded.

“Technique is good, yes, and all good lovers have good technique, but the best lovers let you know how much they like just being with you and seeing you enjoy yourself. One of the best ways to show that is oral sex.” Ella lifted her head, grinning wickedly. “Want a demonstration?”

“God yes,” Jim said. She hadn’t done that to him yet. The thought of those red lips parting around his cock was going to take up the next several nights that he was alone, he was sure of it.

“All right. But let’s get one thing straight before we even get into this-- if you have problems going down on a girl after you’ve fucked her, that’s your prerogative, but don’t expect her to be enthusiastic about giving you head if you act like your come is gross, or like she’s gross after having it inside her. You’re shooting yourself in the foot if you do that, because she’ll take her cues from you. If you enjoy that she did that for you and don’t hesitate to show it, you’ll get a lot more of it.”

“Makes sense,” he said dubiously. He’d never stopped to think that one through. “I’m guessing it works the same way for girls.”

“Yep.” That wicked grin resurfaced, and with her lips Ella tugged gently on the little curls just above his cock, watching and savoring his reaction before running that warm, wet tongue of hers up the side of his cock. “How does it feel knowing that I’m tasting myself on you and enjoying that you just fucked me and you’re going to do it again? Do you like that I enjoy the taste, and that watching you is getting me wet?”

“Hell yes,” he growled. God, anything to keep her going. Not that he didn’t mean it. As an object lesson, this was pretty damn effective.

“So when I say that I want you to eat me out afterward…”

He didn’t even hesitate. “I’m going to enjoy the hell out of it while I try to make you scream.”

That tongue of hers flicked out again, rewarding him with another long lick. “And I’ll teach you exactly how to do that. But for now, just lie back and relax.”

He did. This was turning out to be an amazing night.


	3. Chapter 3

There were a few bad moments the next day on the bridge. Ella had come in, hair all bound up, uniform clinging to that perfect body, and Jim couldn't help watching her a little longer than he’d meant to. “Tonight,” she'd said before they parted in the morning, both of them exhausted and satisfied, both of them aware that work was going to be a bit of an effort. Everything they'd done stampeded through his mind, his imagination determined to fixate on glimpses of the playful, passionate Ella he'd seen last night.  


“Captain on the bridge,” she snapped, and his imagination suddenly cooled as if he'd suddenly been plunged into an icy stream. His eyes were on his instruments now, his hands moving through the familiar checks. Commander Vergne strode up beside him, watching him the way she always watched the Cadets, the lack of a sharp correction the only approval he got. It was so strange to think that for one night she'd been someone totally different… and somehow, not strange at all. Not when he was starting to understand more and more what kind of pressure came with a command rank.

“I was looking for you last night, Commander. Wanted to go over the half-term notices for the Cadets,” Garrovick said.

“I'll be happy to go over them any time we are on duty, Captain. I prefer to keep my free time for my astrophysics degree.” The Commander's voice was extremely neutral, cool, not inviting at all, but subtly different from the voice she used with Cadets. Assertive, but not dominating. Well, the Captain was the only one on the ship who outranked her.

“Come on now Vergne, didn't I see you leaving the bar last night with some guy?” the Captain teased, and suddenly Kirk realized just how wrong he'd been about Vergne’s relationship with Garrovick. Feeling a little sick, he found himself remembering all the times he'd heard the Captain tease her like that, trying to get some admission that she had gone drinking or found some company or whatever else, and how many times it had played out the exact same way.

“I’m afraid not, Captain,” Vergne said, her voice even and cool and neutral, just like before. Just a hint of boredom if you were really listening for it. “I was studying for most of the evening.”

How many times had she given that sort of answer, and how many times had it been because Garrovick had tried to corner her again? Jim couldn't even remember how often he'd heard exchanges like that. He’d always thought it was relatively good-natured and harmless… but knowing that Garrovick had been waiting outside her room last night twisted the banter into something distasteful at best.

“Cadet!” she snapped from right beside him, and Kirk suddenly realized he'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he’d missed something. “The Captain asked you a question. Answer it.”

Kirk half turned in his chair, as was acceptable when not underway. Ella had told him that if he was worried about giving something away, he could just pretend to be bored and explain as little as possible unless specifically asked, like his answers weren't all that important. Seemed like another sound strategy. “Sorry, sir. What was the question?”

“Did you send me on a wild goose chase, Cadet?” the Captain teased, and for one moment Kirk was utterly convinced that Garrovick knew everything somehow and that Ella’s career was ruined because of him. 

Still, he couldn't let himself treat an off chance like a certainty. Kirk just made an apologetic little shrug. “Sorry, sir. I must have been mistaken.”

And that was it. “The Vulcans really lost out when you were born a human, Commander,” Garrovick said lightly, and moved on to pre-launch checks.

Later that night, Kirk left his shared quarters for Ella’s room, mentally flipping through the things she'd told him. Never admit anything. Never let them see you sweat. Never let your lies get elaborate. He wasn't sure he could pull it all off with her grace, but it was good advice for a lot of things, and he had a feeling he’d get a lot of practice. And once he'd stepped into Ella’s quarters and the door was closed behind them, she'd slid into his arms without a second of hesitation.

“You did well,” she murmured, and Kirk proceeded to demonstrate just how much he appreciated her approval.

Over the course of the rest of his term aboard the Farragut, Kirk found that he noticed some changes happening. He barely had any trouble getting girls to go out with him or come home with him anymore. Ella told him it was because he wasn’t so focused on sex, and that seemed to be true; he watched his classmates trying to pick up girls, and he could see the difference between what he was doing and what they were doing. They were too thirsty. It made them seem desperate, whereas he didn’t really care whether he got laid or not. There was always another night and another girl, so he got more interested in the girls themselves and they in turn got more interested in him.

He was getting even more of a reputation too, although it had changed a little. Before when he’d overheard girls talking about him, there had always seemed to be that caveat, whether spoken or not, that he got around. Now that was treated more like a bonus than a warning, and the girls that had already slept with him were usually down for another night, sometimes actively looking for it. Sometimes _really_ actively.

The first time he’d seen a girl’s cheeks go all pink because someone mentioned him, he’d sent off a message to Ella, saying she’d better clear up a night for him because he had a lot to thank her for. And he’d made her scream, more than once.

God, that was fun. He'd really gotten a taste for the things she’d taught him.

Not that he never made mistakes in his attempts at covering things up. He’d nearly gotten himself expelled when all that shit with the Narada had happened. It wasn't until that was over that he found out the Farragut was one of the ships that had been destroyed. He was pretty sure his face went white when he heard, but after some discreet enquiries, he’d found out that Commander Vergne had managed to seal off a portion of the saucer edge and jury-rig a beacon so that the Fleet would find her and the members of the crew she’d been able to save. He’d sent off a message immediately, but when he didn’t get an answer, he started to worry again. Eventually, he got worried enough that he made an official inquiry, and heard that she was in a medically induced coma while they reconstructed her leg and fixed up some massive burns.

Bones had been suspicious from the moment he’d said he wanted to know when Ella was awakened. “You’re not next of kin and you have no reason to be there,” Bones had said, eyeing him.

“She was my CO,” Kirk shot back.

“Oh, and the fact that she’s a bombshell has nothing to do with this,” Bones snorted, but Kirk could tell that he didn’t really think that. “She’s not gonna look that great in a hospital bed, Jim.”

“She taught me a lot. I want to be there.” It was true. She had, a lot more than just sex. Navigating the labyrinthine pitfalls of Fleet relationships hadn’t been half so hard once she’d taught him what to look for and how to keep things discreet. And under the public eye, she’d given him a shot at a helm class she was running aboard the Farragut, even though technically he didn’t have the certifications for it. It wasn’t anything she hadn’t done for other Cadets-- Vergne judged based on her opinions, not Fleet certifications, and she let everyone know it. But she was one of the best helmsmen out there, and he already knew how to take direction from her, so he’d sharpened his skills more than his supervisors had thought possible. Her endorsement meant a lot, not just to him, but to the other officers.

“Fine,” Bones had said. “I’ll let you know when to take some leave.”

The call came in about a month later, longer than he’d expected, but there had been medical complications in the meantime. Kirk took a week’s leave and headed down to the surface-- the Enterprise was stationed at Earth for the time being, so it wasn’t hard to manage.

Bones was wrong. She looked great. Tired, a little drawn with pain, but great. There wasn’t any family there-- Kirk had never known if she’d had any or not. That didn’t surprise him. The members of the Farragut crew that had shown up to see her when she woke eyed him like an outsider, though, and Kirk didn’t blame them. He hung back, letting them say their thanks and hellos, but when her eyes landed on him a weak smirk curved her mouth. “Jim. Now I _know_ this isn’t heaven, cause you’re never getting there.”

“Don’t be such an asshole,” he said, grinning. “I heard you were sick or something. You look fine to me. You faking?”

One of the crew members angrily started to tell him off, but Ella quelled that with a glance. “Come here and kiss me. I need it, after all that bullshit.”

He did as requested. If she wanted to give up the secrecy, that was her call. She made it clear that this wasn’t a just-friends sort of kiss, and after that no one had a word to say about his presence or anything else.

He made it to the ceremony they had a couple days later, giving her the rank of Captain and decorating her for her heroics. And naturally, a bit of a fuss was made over his contribution to that whole thing too. By then, Ella had heard the whole story. If he’d thought for a second she’d treat him differently, he was disabused of that notion when she told him not to get a puffed head over it, and that one lucky break didn’t make a good Captain.

“I got it, I got it,” he said. They’d snuck out of the ceremony, and were sharing a slightly-questionable controlled intoxicant. It was hers for medical use, though, and no one was going to bust the two of them for something like that. Kirk inhaled, and passed the hand-rolled joint back to her. “I won’t let it trip me up. If I do, you’ll be breathing down my neck, and who wants that?”

“You do. Just under different circumstances.” Ella grinned and blew smoke in his face. “Coming back to my place tonight?”

“Thought they posted you already,” Kirk said.

“They did. Exploratory vessel. But my ship’s not ready yet-- still being built.” At his questioning look, she added, “Yeah. Farragut-A. She’s gonna have a better warp core than yours.”

“Oh, bullshit,” Kirk said. “I’ve got a better helm officer than you, even. I’ll take you on any day.”

“We’ll see.” Ella’s jaw tightened and she looked away. “He was keeping me back, you know,” she said suddenly. “Garrovick filed requests from me not to be given my own command. I didn’t make those requests. I would have jumped at the chance to have a command of my own… but I guess he figured if he kept me around, eventually he’d wear me down.”

Kirk didn’t know what to say, really. “Isn’t there anything I… I mean, can you do something about it?”

“Why bother? All it would do is drag his name through the mud. And… it wasn’t like he was a bad Captain. The only reason I had a chance to save anyone was because Garrovick stayed behind to manually deploy emergency bulkheads. I’m happy just letting it be. Got my Farragut, my command, my mission orders… I’m good. That’s all I want.” The expression on her face was something he’d caught glimpses of before, the kind of soft, dreamy expression he was sure she’d have if she ever fell in love. But it was the ship she loved… and Kirk was starting to understand that.

“So I guess once my shore leave is over, it’s goodbye, huh?” he said regretfully.

“Who says?” Ella asked, looking skeptically at him and handing him the joint. “God, Jim, you’d think we were never going to see each other again or something. All right, I’ll make you a deal. The next time we find ourselves in the same sector, starbase, planet, whatever, gimme a call and we’ll see if we can’t steal a few nights here and there.”

“What if you find some guy--”

Ella’s laughter was a little louder than he thought was justified. “I never did tell you, did I? Ha. Well, there you go. I like girls, Jim. Mostly, anyway. How the hell did you think I knew so much about how to get women off?” While he sputtered and tried to think of something to say, she added, “And any girl who isn't up for a night with both of us probably isn't worth my time. So I wouldn’t worry about it. Give me that, and let’s get the hell out of here. I’ve got more at home. How much time do you have?”

“A few days,” Kirk said.

“Good. That means we can save an evening to go pick up a girl or two. You do want to move on to the advanced lessons, don’t you?”

Kirk pulled her close and stole what was meant to be a brief kiss, sliding his hands down to grab that amazing ass of hers. But god, she was too much fun to kiss. He drew it out just as long as she would let him, lips and tongues catching on each other in the most delicious ways while he kneaded her full, round, utterly grabbable ass. When the kiss broke, however, he couldn't help asking the question that had been lurking in the back of his mind the entire time. “But if you like girls, how come I--”

Ella grinned roguishly at him. “Shut up, Captain,” she said, her hands already urging him down for another kiss.

Kirk laughed, but pretended Starfleet obedience. “Aye aye, Captain,” he teased, and was rewarded with another one of those intoxicating kisses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Captain Vergne shows up in Walking Wounded because I wanted to take a peek into how relationships on an equal footing would work-- and, of course, how rare they would be when you're a Captain. Then, of course, I had to decide how that had all happened and ended up with a sort of Mrs. Robinson story in Kirk's past, which seemed pretty fitting for someone with his kind of brains, ambition, and disregard for rules and social mores. I hope you enjoyed this look into Kirk's past relationships! <3


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